ARIZONA SCALED QUAIL 53 



pairs of scaled quail on a grassy flat where a few sycamores and small 

 bushes were scattered along the course of a dry wash, the bed of an 

 underground stream running out from the canyon. On May 25, 1922, 

 while hunting this flat we flushed a quail from the only nest of this 

 species that I have ever seen. The nest was well concealed under a 

 tuft of grass surrounding a tiny mesquite ; the grass was well arched 

 over it, and the hollow in the ground was lined with dry grass and a 

 few feathers. It held 14 fresh eggs. 



Nests found by others have been similarly located under the shel- 

 ter of some low bush, sagebush, creosote bush, mesquite, catclaw, 

 cactus, or yucca, rarely in an open situation among rocks or under 

 a fallen bush. Simmons (1925) says that in Texas the nest is rarely 

 placed in a meadow or grainfield. The hollow is lined with what- 

 ever kind of dry grass is available. Willard says in his notes : 



Most of the nesting occurs during the months of June and July. I am in- 

 clined to believe that this is because the rainy season in Arizona commences, 

 under normal conditions, early in June. Thereafter there are more or less 

 heavy showers nearly every day. This assures a supply of drinking water 

 within easy reach of the newly hatched young. The nests are usually placed 

 under some tussock of mixed dry and green grass. In the vicinity of gardens, 

 they sometimes build under tomato vines. Where a haystack is available, they 

 are quite likely to work out a hollow near the bottom and lay their eggs there 

 much after the manner of the domestic hen. It is not at all unusual for two 

 scaled quail to lay their eggs in the same nest, if the presence of two distinct 

 types of eggs in the same nest can be considered as evidence. In several in- 

 stances I have had nests under observation (which did not yet hold complete 

 clutches) and in three of these instances eggs were deposited at the rate of two 

 per day, quite positive proof that two birds were using the same nest. 



Eggs. — The scaled quail lays from 9 to 16 eggs, rarely more, and 

 usually from 12 to 14. They are ovate or short ovate in shape and 

 usually quite pointed. The shell is thick and smooth, with little if 

 any gloss. The ground color varies from dull white to creamy 

 white. Some few eggs are thickly, or even heavily speckled with 

 very small spots or minute dots of dull, light browns, " sayal brown " 

 to pale " cinnamon-buff." Most of the eggs are sparingly marked 

 with similar spots. Some are nearly or quite immaculate. Major 

 Bendire (1892) says that "occasionally a set is marked with some- 

 what more irregular, as well as larger, spots or blotches, resembling 

 certain types of eggs of Callipepla ga??ibeli, but these markings are 

 always paler colored and not so pronounced." The measurements 

 of 57 eggs average 32.6 by 25.2 millimeters; the eggs showing the 

 four extremes measure 35.8 by 26, 34 by 27, 30 by 24.5, and 31.5 by 

 23.5 millimeters. 



Young. — Major Bendire (1892) believed that "two and even three 

 broods are occasionally raised in a season, the male assisting in the 

 74564—32 5 



